Chapter 6: Combustion

Schooldays at U.A. started normally. Required courses such as math and English happened during the morning, followed by lunch at noon. In the afternoon the schedule changed and the most important classes to heroes are taught.

Hero basic training is next. I wonder what our first class will be like? Izuku was walking from the lunchroom to his classroom. Beside him Iida and Uraraka were talking about something.

I am very curious as well. Where I am from the title of hero is one that someone earns, not something achieved by education.

That's how it used to be before the current hero system began, some heroes like All Might truly have earned their title. Speaking of him, I heard rumors of All Might being a teacher at U.A. this year, if that's true, I'm sure he'd be in charge of this class! I wonder if I'll be able to see him again…

That's right, you said you met him shortly after finding me. It'll be interesting to see the man claimed as the number one hero.

The group of friends reached the classroom as they continued chatting. Other students filed into class and soon enough a figure appeared at the doorway.

"I am… coming through the door like a normal person!" All Might loudly proclaimed as he leaned inward, grasping the sides of the doorway.

"It's All Might!"

"I can't believe it, he's really teaching here!" Izuku gushed.

"That's a costume from the Silver Age, isn't it?"

"I teach hero basic training! It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll receive the most units in this subject! Let's get right to it! Today you'll be doing combat training!" All Might finished by striking a pose and presenting a large card with "BATTLE" emblazoned on it.

Izuku noticed that Bakugo's head perked up at that. He's been strangely quiet, has he been thinking about the results yesterday that much?

"And to go with that training, your costumes have been prepared!" All Might pointed to the side of the class as compartments opened up. Each one was marked different numbers, matching to the student's seat number.

Our costumes!

Do they really matter that much?

Yes! My mother and I worked hard on this! A hero is defined by his image!

"After you're done changing gather in Ground Beta!"

"Yes sir!" The class replied.

Izuku and his mother had decided to create their own costume instead of relying on U.A.'s support company. They decided that Izuku's costume should look similar to his transformed state, in order to not cause any confusion of who was in the armor. White boots and black pants with long vertical white stripes on the sides covered Izuku's legs. An empty utility belt covered his waist. Izuku's upper torso was covered by a white shirt with a red vertical stripe on each side. The final and most eye catching piece was the long purple scarf that billowed out behind him, the same vibrant shade as his armor's hair was.

Izuku walked to the training ground, smiling all the way. He was truly proud of his costume.

Izuku, yesterday you asked me if there was anything I could do to help you. I told you no. You also asked me about what happened at the entrance exam. I'll explain both why I said no and what happened at the exam, since this is the first time you'll be fighting other people.

Omega?

I really should have explained earlier, sorry. The fighting at the entrance exam had slowly woken me up, do you remember the increase in power and fighting skill you had?

That was just from you waking up?!

No, biometals are able to transfer their fighting experience and control the power output for the user. Before I became fully aware I took control and destroyed that large robot at the end of the exam. In that moment I had become immersed in the destruction of those robots, and I only snapped out of it when I realized there was a person using my power.

I see, but what does that have to do with me asking if there was anything I could use from you yesterday Omega?

Something that could only be described as a mental sigh came from the biometal. Even if I had truly wanted to give you my combat experience morals prohibit me from doing that for someone becoming a hero. Izuku tilted his head in confusion. You've forgotten Izuku, that I am a murderer, someone who has slaughtered nearly all life on his planet. The only thing you'd learn from me is how to kill more efficiently. If you had been fighting people at the entrance exam and not machines it is likely you would have become a murderer Izuku.

That's right. With all the excitement and joy of getting into U.A. I almost forgot. I'm using a power that's killed so many people.

Don't think of it that way Izuku. Listen to me, this is your power now, not mine. I just wanted to explain why I can't let you use my battle experience. I also can't let you use that same level of power from the exam. You didn't feel it that bad due to adrenaline and that nurse's power, but you took damage from using that power. In my world my power would be used by reploids or cybernetically enhanced humans, you can't use the same level of power as they could without consequences.

I… see. Thank you Omega. Izuku's brows were furrowed, his lips quivering.

Power isn't truly good or evil, I believe you'll become a great hero Izuku.

Izuku's faced eased after hearing that, the worries fading from his face. You're right Omega. I'm sorry I thought like that.

Don't worry, your friends are waiting for you ahead.

"Ah! Izuku-kun!"

"Uraraka-san!"

"Your costume is really cool, the scarf reminds me of some of those really old hero shows!" Uraraka scratched her head awkwardly. "I should've written what I wanted, I ended up with a skintight suit. It's embarrassing…"

She looks too good in it! I don't know what to say!

I can't help you with that.

"The hero course is great." The purple headed boy gave a thumbs up at the scene.

"Eh?!"

"Now that everyone is here, it's time for the training!" All Might declared.

"Sensei! Will we be conducting urban battles again like the exam?" Iida's voice came out of a suit that looked like a mix between a knight's armor and car parts.

So that's Iida-kun's costume, he looks cool in it!

"No, we will be taking a few steps ahead. Most of the time fights against villains take place outside, but statistically most acts of villainy are conducted indoors! Imprisonment, house arrest, backdoor deals… in this society of heroes truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows." All Might lectured. "In this class you'll split into groups of heroes and villains and fight two-on-two indoor battles!"

"Without basic training?" A frog like girl asked.

"This is a real battle to understand those basics! However this time the key is that there is no robot that you can just beat up!"

Izuku gulped.

So long as you avoid unsheathing your sword there should be no issue. Omega reassured the boy.

I destroyed a fridge the first time I used the gauntlets, I-

Yes, but you've learned how to control your power better now. The students here are stronger than you think.

"I'll answer all your questions!" All Might suddenly shouted.

Huh, oh I must have missed what everyone was saying.

"Listen here, the situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must dispose of it!" All Might stated as he read off a small sheet of notes he pulled out. "The heroes must catch the villains or retrieve the weapon in the allotted time. The villains must protect the weapon the entire time or catch the heroes."

He's using notes!

"Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!" All Might finished.

"They're being determined so randomly?!" Iida exclaimed.

"Pros often have to create makeshift teams with other heroes they don't know, maybe that's why?" Izuku offered.

"I see, excuse my rudeness!"

"It's fine! Let's do this!" All Might pumped his fist up and began creating the teams.

Eh! I'm paired with Uraraka-san! Izuku thought as All Might continued with the teams.

"Wow it must be fate! I'm counting on you!" Uraraka cheered.

"A-ah, yeah!" Izuku stuttered back.

"The first teams to fight will be… Teams A and D! Team A will be the heroes and Team D will be the villains!"

My team and Kacchan's team! What's the chance of that!?

Be careful Izuku, something is different about him today.

Eh? Izuku looked over at Bakugo. He was grinning, more than he normally did at the prospect of fighting. In his hand he was creating small sparks and staring at them, before noticing Izuku and turning to him. His eyes! Bakugo's eyes were bloodshot, the veins completely visible. Both boys looked away from each other.

I don't think he'll be holding back during the battle.

"Everyone else, head to the monitor room." All Might directed the rest of the class to the room.

Have I really affected him that much? Just from getting this power?

"Villain team, go in first and set up! In five minutes the hero team will break in and the battle will start!" The number one hero stopped the villain team from entering for a moment. "Iida-shounen, Bakugo-shounen, try to think from the perspective of the villain team for this exercise." Before All Might finished however, Bakugo had already went inside.

"Bakugo! You can't just leave like that!" Iida called after his teammate.

"It's alright Iida-shounen. It was just a bit of friendly advice." Despite what he said, All Might's smile had fallen a fraction as his eyes followed Bakugo's back. "Anyway, don't be afraid to go all out, if things go too far I'll stop you."

"Yes sir!" Iida replied as he walked into the building, looking for his teammate. He found him waiting against a wall barely into the first floor. "What was that about?" Bakugo just walked away from him. "Hey!"

"All of you are wasting my time with this pointless small talk, let's just get to it already."

"Eh. Alright then let's go confirm the weapon's loc-"

"I'm staying here."

"What?"

Bakugo turned around to look Iida in the eyes. Iida took a step back from the sheer intensity of Bakugo's eyes. "I said I'm staying here. You go ahead and protect the weapon."

Iida gave Bakugo one last worried look before sighing in resignation and moving on.

"It's a lot of work to memorize the building's floor plan. But All Might is just like how he is on TV. Unlike Aizawa-sensei it looks like there's no punishment so we can relax-You're not relaxed at all!" Uraraka exclaimed.

Izuku was sweating heavily and shaking a bit. "Ah, yeah. Even after everything that's happened I'm still scared to directly fight against Kacchan. There's also Iida-kun to worry about as well."

"I see, Bakugo-kun made fun of you before right?"

"Yeah, but I can't afford to be afraid of him any longer." Izuku clenched his hand into a fist. I've changed from back then! Izuku declared as he remembered the days before he found Omega. "He's made my life hell, but there is still something I admire about him. I can't afford to lose if I really want to move on from my past self!"

"A fated battle between men, huh?"

"Ah sorry! This isn't really your problem Uraraka-san!"

"It is! We're a team after all! Let's do our best!" Uraraka smiled at Izuku. He nodded in return.

"Now let's start the combat training with Team A and Team D!" All Might declared.

Izuku and Uraraka sneaked in through one of the windows on the first floor. Their feet quietly landing on the floor inside of the building.

Should I transform now? I could levita- Izuku heard an explosion from his blind spot, whipping his head around the boy saw Bakugo speeding towards him. His palms glowing. I need to transform now! Wait! Izuku remembered his teammate, the teammate who was right behind him. Uraraka's right next to me, I'll crush her if I transform.

"Uraraka-san go!" Izuku pushed her out of the way of Bakugo's attack just as it hit the boy. The light seared into his eyes as the force of the attack passed into his body launching him backwards. Transform! His armored form appeared and Izuku's backward velocity slowed, his feet digged into the ground leaving spiderweb cracks in the concrete. It still hurts like hell, but I've mitigated the damage. If I hit the wall at that speed unarmored that would have taken me out of the fight right there.

It's worse than that Izuku, you don't feel it yet but you've been burned badly. Some of your bones have cracks in them. I've diverted some regeneration from the armor to your body.

Regeneration? I'll ask you later.

"That's good Deku, use your quirk! I'll beat you at your full strength!" Bakugo proclaimed.

"Izuku are you alright?!" Uraraka stood up from where she had been pushed aside.

She's fine, that's good. "I'm fine Uraraka-san, go look for the weapon! I'll handle Kacchan!"

"You'll 'handle' me Deku?" Bakugo's face turned into a snarl. "Don't get ahead of yourself shitty nerd!" His hands lit up again and Bakugo surged forward.

He's coming! Izuku launched his gauntlets forward to try and catch Bakugo, but the enraged boy simply dodged around it with well placed explosions. I expected that Kacchan! The armored boy's leg lifted up with surprising speed and struck at Bakugo. Just before the attack landed Bakugo spread both his hands and released a massive blast at Izuku's leg.

"Damnit!" Bakugo grasped his left knee, the attack had destroyed his knee pad and left a bruise.

He slowed himself down and counter attacked in one motion, but my armor is barely scratched. Only a few parts of Izuku's leg armor had been chipped off by that attack. When Bakugo saw the result of his attack he grit his teeth.

"Bakugo, what's going on?!" Iida asked through Bakugo's earpiece.

Bakugo completely ignored his teammate. "That's a really nice quirk you've got there huh, Deku. Did you enjoy deceiving me that much?!" Once again Bakugo charged forward, but aiming much higher than he did last time. "If I can't damage you much then I'll hit you where it hurts the most!" He only narrowly managed to dodge the gauntlets as he grasped his hands around Izuku's helmet. "Die!" The ensuing explosion was massive, but before Bakugo could leave Izuku hit him off with one of his gauntlets.

"That hurts!" Both boys cried out. Izuku's gauntlets were grasped around his helmet, where his ears would be. Bakugo tugged the right side of his chest. The two groaned in pain for several seconds.

That attack nearly deafened me! It still hurts, but I need to get up. Izuku slowly recovered, while Bakugo was still on the floor, suffering from the pain.

"Izuku-kun I've found the weapon, but Iida-kun noticed me! Also are you okay?!" Uraraka called Izuku.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just distract Iida-kun while I head there. Where is the weapon located?"

"On the middle of the fifth floor. Did you beat Bakugo-kun?"

"He's down for now. On my way!"

"Deku! I'm not done yet! Don't think you've won just yet!" Bakugo snarled at Izuku as he clutched his side while struggling on the floor.

Izuku turned back and looked at Bakugo."Sorry Kacchan." He began dashing towards the stairway.

As Izuku disappeared Bakugo yelled in anger. "Damnit! You're still looking down on me aren't you, Deku!"

Izuku was rushing up the stairs of the building. Thanks to quirk regulations, every building was usually big enough even for his transformed state. I need to fix my relationship with Bakugo. Even though he bullied me for years, that's in the past. I can't let that affect my- no, our education. We can't go on fighting like this. Izuku was on the third floor when a truly massive explosion smashed into him. What!? Izuku was picked up off the ground and crashed into the wall behind him.

"I'm not finished yet Deku!" The smoke cleared, revealing Bakugo again.

"Bakugo, what's going on?!" Iida asked again.

"Shut up!"

He's still hurt! Bakugo wasn't standing straight, limping on his left leg and grimacing in pain whenever he moved. Did he use his quirk to jump up to the third floor?

"Hehe, that did a lot more damage this time!"

Eh? Izuku looked down at his armor and his eyes widened. There's chips and hairline fractures everywhere!

You didn't notice the scale of the attack because the suit doesn't transfer damage as pain.

"I'm coming Deku!" Bakugo jumped towards the staircase trying to reach Izuku.

Since he's going to the stairs I'll head further inside this floor! Izuku dashed past Bakugo.

"You can't run!" Bakugo shouted as he unleashed another blast with his other gauntlet at Izuku. It crashed into his back and pinned him against the wall.

It has a longer range than I thought, even from that distance it hit me hard enough to stop my run. Just what are those gauntlets?! Izuku detached his own gauntlets and sent them after Bakugo. I have to destroy them! If he gets more good shots like that first one he might destroy my armor! Omega, I feel fine now. Switch the regeneration to my armor again! Before Izuku could focus on Omega's reply he smashed Bakugo's gauntlets.

"Kacchan, please surrender. You can't damage me anymore without those gauntlets." Izuku stepped forward towards Bakugo. "You're already hurt enough from this."

"Idiot." Bakugo pointed towards Izuku. "It's in your nature, you look down on me like this whenever you think I need help!"

Izuku realized Bakugo's plan too late to react in time.

"I'll crash this whole building on you if it means I'll win!" Bakugo's hands glowed even brighter than before and he unleashed several blasts one after the other. All of them were as big as the ones from his gauntlets, but more spread out and shorter.

"Bakugo-shounen stop it!" All Might shouted, but Bakugo wasn't listening. He continued bombarding Izuku with blast after blast, even after his palms started being burned and his arms fractured. He finished with a final blast big enough to send the top of the building tumbling down. Izuku tumbled onto his knees as he was overwhelmed, the rubble crashed into him breaking his completely cracked armor in multiple places. Behind it a black and red suit was partially revealed. His gauntlets were nowhere to be seen.

"I win!" Bakugo declared after seeing Izuku's body.

"What the hell do you mean 'I win' Kacchan!" Part of the helmet covering Izuku's face fell off, revealing an enraged green eye glaring at him. "Are you trying to become a hero or not?!" Behind the boy the dust cleared and his floating gauntlets were revealed.

They were holding Uraraka and Iida.

Bakugo choked on his words.

"Villain team is disqualified!" All Might shouted.

AN: Wow. This chapter was crazy to write. I felt like I truly went beyond, Plus Ultra! Jokes aside this was truly the hardest chapter to write so far, and it's also the longest. Thinking about how Bakugo might fight someone with overwhelming defense was really interesting, especially with how Bakugo and Izuku's relationship is even worse in this fic. I really wanted to show just how out of control mad he was at Izuku, which is why he gets so angry that he forgets that this is just a training assignment and he focuses everything on beating Izuku. Also, yeah Omega Zero is partially revealed in this last scene, but Omega hasn't told Izuku about it yet.

Thank you again for all the support in the reviews! phoenixgod13 I've went back and changed Katchan to Kacchan. I think I subconsciously just changed it since it looked too similar to the Okaachan, which means mother. Also I can't believe I've gotten 30+ favorites and 50+ follows, thank you all so much! I even have almost 2500 views on this fic so far! I never thought it would get this much attention!

Next time: A look into Bakugo's mind after this fight.